7 Dinner Recipes to Cook This Week
Not sure where to start with this week’s meal plan? You’re not on your own! Working out what to eat from one week to the next can feel like a chore, and it’s always an easy option to fall back on the same few reliable recipes.
If you want to switch up the food you’re eating and try some new, slimming-friendly dishes next week, grab a pen and paper (or your Pinch of Nom Family Meal Planner if you really want to get organised). We’ve made a list of 7 dinner recipes to cook this week, for you to build your meal plan around. With ‘what’s for dinner?’ answered, picking breakfasts and lunches to go with these will feel easy-peasy!
Make meal planning easier than ever
Whether you’re new to meal planning or already a preparation pro, our Family Meal Planner will help you to get organised and stay ahead. As well as pages for plotting out your weekly meal plan, there’s space to track what you have in the freezer, and handy pull-out shopping lists to make your supermarket trips easier.
If you don’t already have a copy, you can pick one up here. Psssst…there are 26 recipes inside that you won’t find anywhere else!
Meat-free Monday
You need something hearty if you want to start the week off on the right foot, although that doesn’t always have to mean making a meaty dish. Skipping the meat one or two days a week is good for keeping the calories down, getting more vegetables into your diet, as well as saving a few pennies on your weekly shop.
Note down this Chilli Bean Pie recipe for dinner next Monday, and you’re already onto a winner of a week. It’s full of beans, in the best possible way! A couple of tins of mixed beans are simmered into a tomatoey filling, with loads of fresh veggies. The sweet, smoky, chipotle-infused sauce makes sure this pie has so much flavour that you’ll never miss the meat.
Topped with creamy mashed potatoes, crushed tortilla chips and plenty of cheese, it’ll feed a family of 6 (but you can always freeze spare portions if you’re serving fewer people).
Quick & Easy Tuesday
No matter what your week holds in store, we know anything that helps you spend less time in the kitchen and more time relaxing is always welcome. Tuesdays can be even more hectic than Mondays, so what you really need is a time-saving dinner that brings big, bold flavours to the table.
We’re ticking all the boxes with this Spicy Salmon Skewers with Cous Cous recipe! It’s always a good idea to eat at least one fish dish a week, and salmon is full of protein and good fats. You can also swap to white fish, if that’s more your flavour.
This fresh-tasting dinner is ready in just 20 minutes, thanks to a speedy pack of Ainsley Harriott couscous. While your fish is cooking in the oven, you can be mixing all those colourful, crunchy veggies into your couscous.
Let’s not forget the all-important creamy dressing! Flavoured with fresh herbs and a good squeeze of lemon, it’s ready in a flash and it brings the whole dish together.
One-pot Wednesday
By the time Wednesday evening rolls around, you’ll be so pleased with yourself for picking a one-pot dish for dinner! Bags of flavour, barely any faff and just one pot to wash up afterwards (and however many serving plates you need to use).
This Sausage Traybake is exactly what you need – it’s hearty enough to fill you up after a long day, and easy to make vegetarian if you prefer. With sausages, potatoes, carrots, onions and apples all thrown into the pot together, you’ll be sitting down to a perfectly balanced meal.
Everything gets coated in a sweet, sticky marinade made from mustard, honey and apple juice, seasoned with fresh thyme and ground black pepper. Pop it in the oven for 45 minutes, and that’s Wednesday dinner sorted!
Slow Cooker Thursday
On Thursday morning take 10 minutes to throw some ingredients into the slow cooker and you’ll save yourself a whole lot of effort when you get home later that night. The easiest meal of the week can also be one of the tastiest, especially when it’s these Slow Cooker Chilli Bowls.
A treat as you near the end of the week, your fiery, slow-cooked chilli has all the rich, meaty flavour you could wish for. When it’s time to dish up, turn your low-calorie tortilla wraps into baked, crunchy bowls, spoon in some chilli and some rice, then top it off with cheese.
You can ramp up the Mexican-inspired flavours even further with some salsa or guacamole – just don’t forget to work out any extra calories, if you’re counting.
Fakeaway Friday
No week is complete without a Friday night fakeaway night! Recreating your favourite takeaway orders at home is such a smart way to save money, and calories too. These Loaded Fries with Katsu Curry Sauce satisfy two cravings at once, spicing up chips and curry sauce with a Japanese-inspired Katsu twist.
From the taste, you’d never guess how many veggies go into our creamy Katsu curry sauce. Rich and flavourful, it’s far more slimming friendly than takeaway or restaurant versions.
Once the chips have been oven-baked until they’re nice and crispy, add some chicken, pour on the sauce and crumble over some tortilla chips for a little bit of extra crunch.
Weekly Indulgence Saturday
What better way to celebrate the weekend than choosing a recipe from our Weekly Indulgence category for dinner? These are dishes between 400 and 500 calories per serving, which you can add into your meal plan once or twice a week for a little variety.
For 437 calories, you can tuck into a hearty bowl of this Spicy Turkey Hotpot on Saturday night. We’ve given this easy recipe a Pinch of Nom twist (of course) by adding medium-spicy fajita flavours into the filling. Simple to adapt for your family, you can adjust the heat and switch out any veggies that you know fussy eaters won’t enjoy.
Finished with slices of potato and a sprinkling of cheese, you won’t be able to wait to dig through that golden topping!
Sunday Dinner
You can’t go wrong with a traditional roast dinner on a Sunday, but it’s fair enough if you don’t fancy eating (or cooking) one every week. This BBQ Roast Chicken is perfect when you’re in the mood for a roast, but fancy something a little bit different.
You don’t need to wait for the sunshine: all the BBQ flavours come from our smoky, easy-to-make marinade. Spooned under the skin, as well as on top of it, the delicious chargrilled seasoning works its magic all the way through the chicken, for a taste of barbecue in every bite.
Skip the spuds and add a few Butternut Squash Roasties on the side of your chicken. Herby, garlicky, and just 91 calories per serving, the sweet flavour will pair well with the smokiness of the BBQ meat.
Get your greens in with a portion of our ultra-versatile Garlic Green Beans. One of our favourite side dishes, they add a lovely crunch to just about any meal. Ready in 5 minutes, and only 39 calories for a portion, they’re just what your Sunday dinner needs.
What dinner recipes are you planning for next week?
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You can always stop by our PON Gallery for recipe inspiration too; there’s no shortage of hints, tips, quotes and photos shared by our incredible community.
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